This photo of Ghulam Jeelani was taken by Ahmer Khan at the September 27th funeral of 26-year-old Kashmiri Saleem Malik, a civilian working man gunned down by Indian occupying forces in what they call “crossfire.” “Crossfire” is the Indian term for what the US Pentagon calls “collateral damage.” Both are euphemisms to disguise the direct targeting of civilians in war & occupation.
The photo went viral on the assumption that the grieving man was young Saleem’s father but Ghulam was in fact a neighbor of Saleem. He loved Saleem for his kindness, especially to Ghulam’s young autistic son. This article about the photo & about Saleem includes a video of Ghulam describing Saleem & why he loved him. It’s a wonderful tribute to a remarkable young man. May Saleem Rest In Peace.
Photo of Saleem Malik. May he Rest In Peace.